[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2598 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2598

To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for increased funding 
    for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to carry out 
 activities toward increasing the number of medically underserved, at-
     risk adults and adolescents who are immunized against vaccine-
             preventable diseases, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 23, 2001

 Ms. Roybal-Allard (for herself, Mrs. Jones of Ohio, Mr. Pallone, Mr. 
 Murtha, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, Mr. Wynn, Mr. McGovern, Mr. Waxman, 
  Mr. Serrano, Mr. Lantos, Ms. Norton, and Mr. Bonior) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for increased funding 
    for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to carry out 
 activities toward increasing the number of medically underserved, at-
     risk adults and adolescents who are immunized against vaccine-
             preventable diseases, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Underserved Adult and Adolescent 
Immunization Act of 2001''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds as follows:
            (1) While the United States achieved record levels of 
        immunization in the 1990s and childhood immunization coverage 
        has dramatically increased, certain problems persist within the 
        national immunization system. The Nation still needs to address 
        persistent disparities in childhood levels of immunization 
        coverage in high-poverty areas. In addition, immunization 
        coverage rates for adults are well below those achieved for 
        childhood immunizations. Thus, there is a vital need to step up 
        our activities to immunize underserved adults and adolescents.
            (2) Presently, many at-risk adults and adolescents are not 
        getting the vaccines they need, such as influenza, 
        pneumococcal, hepatitis B, chickenpox and mennigitis vaccine. 
        Moreover, adolescents and certain adult subpopulations 
        (minorities, seniors, the uninsured, persons with chronic 
        diseases) have significantly lower coverage.
            (3) This past season's shortage of influenza vaccine 
        emphasized that the United States has no comprehensive flu 
        vaccination plan. Delays in vaccine production and a haphazard 
        distribution system creates shortages, and drives up vaccine 
        prices. This past season, much of the available vaccine went to 
        programs that immunize mostly lower-risk people (colleges, 
        workplaces, shopping malls), leaving out the elderly and sick, 
        for whom immunization could make the difference between life or 
        death.
            (4) Vaccine-preventable diseases in adults cause staggering 
        deaths and illnesses. Each year, about 20,000 Americans die due 
        to influenza or influenza-related pneumonia. Over 90 percent of 
        the deaths occur in persons aged 65 years and older. Moreover, 
        pneumonia and influenza together are the fifth leading cause of 
        death among older adults. The Centers for Disease Control and 
        Prevention estimates that the overall cost to society from 
        these vaccine-preventable diseases of adults exceeds $10 
        billion per year.
            (5) The problem is exacerbated by the fact that Federal 
        resources for immunizations have decreased over the last five 
        years. This unpredictable funding has created uncertainty in 
        State and local planning efforts. Increasingly, State health 
        departments are facing difficulties in monitoring the 
        effectiveness of immunizations, since the majority of vaccines 
        are delivered in private health care facilities. Thus, long-
        range data collection, assessment of immunization rates and 
        strategic planning efforts have suffered.

SEC. 3. PROGRAM FOR INCREASING IMMUNIZATION RATES FOR ADULTS AND 
              ADOLESCENTS; COLLECTION OF ADDITIONAL IMMUNIZATION DATA.

    (a) Activities of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.--
Section 317(j) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247b(j)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following paragraphs:
    ``(3)(A) For the purpose of carrying out activities toward 
increasing immunization rates for adults and adolescents through the 
immunization program under this subsection, and for the purpose of 
carrying out subsection (k)(2), there are authorized to be appropriated 
$50,000,000 for fiscal year 2002, and such sums as may be necessary for 
each of the fiscal years 2003 through 2005. Such authorization is in 
addition to amounts available under paragraphs (1) and (2) for such 
purposes.
    ``(B) In expending amounts appropriated under subparagraph (A), the 
Secretary shall give priority to adults and adolescents who are 
medically underserved and are at risk for vaccine-preventable diseases, 
including as appropriate populations identified through projects under 
subsection (k)(2)(E).
    ``(C) The purposes for which amounts appropriated under 
subparagraph (A) are available include (with respect to immunizations 
for adults and adolescents) payment of the costs of storing vaccines, 
outreach activities to inform individuals of the availability of the 
immunizations, and other program expenses necessary for the 
establishment or operation of immunization programs carried out or 
supported by States or other public entities pursuant to this 
subsection.
    ``(4) The Secretary shall annually submit to the Congress a report 
that--
            ``(A) evaluates the extent to which the immunization system 
        in the United States has been effective in providing for 
        adequate immunization rates for adults and adolescents, taking 
        into account the applicable year 2010 health objectives 
        established by the Secretary regarding the health status of the 
        people of the United States; and
            ``(B) describes any issues identified by the Secretary that 
        may affect such rates.
    ``(5) In carrying out this subsection and paragraphs (1) and (2) of 
subsection (k), the Secretary shall consider recommendations regarding 
immunizations that are made in reports issued by the Institute of 
Medicine.''.
    (b) Research, Demonstrations, and Education.--Section 317(k) of the 
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247b(k)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (4) as 
        paragraphs (3) through (5), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following 
        paragraph:
            ``(2) The Secretary, directly and through grants under 
        paragraph (1), shall provide for a program of research, 
        demonstration projects, and education in accordance with the 
        following:
                    ``(A) The Secretary shall coordinate with public 
                and private entities (including nonprofit private 
                entities), and develop and disseminate guidelines, 
                toward the goal of ensuring that immunizations are 
                routinely offered to adults and adolescents by public 
                and private health care providers.
                    ``(B) The Secretary shall cooperate with public and 
                private entities to obtain information for the annual 
                evaluations required in subsection (j)(4)(A).
                    ``(C) The Secretary shall (relative to fiscal year 
                2001) increase the extent to which the Secretary 
                collects data on the incidence, prevalence, and 
                circumstances of diseases and adverse events that are 
                experienced by adults and adolescents and may be 
                associated with immunizations, including collecting 
                data in cooperation with commercial laboratories.
                    ``(D) The Secretary shall ensure that the entities 
                with which the Secretary cooperates for purposes of 
                subparagraphs (A) through (C) include managed care 
                organizations, community based organizations that 
                provide health services, and other health care 
                providers.
                    ``(E) The Secretary shall provide for projects to 
                identify racial and ethnic minority groups and other 
                health disparity populations for which immunization 
                rates for adults and adolescents are below such rates 
                for the general population, and to determine the 
                factors underlying such disparities.''.
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